Top 10 State Flowers

This week we took a look at the state flowers. The top 10 rankings come from Red Book Magazine. All 50 states have an official state flower. Below we’ll take a look at the history and fun facts of the top 10 state flowers.

1. Forget-Me-Not | Alaska

The forget-me-not blooms in midsummer. The blue in Alaska’s state flag represents the Alaskian sky and the forget-me-not.

2. Rocky Mountain Columbine | Colorado

This flower was discovered by a hiker in Colorado in 1820. The flower’s colors have symbolic meaning to the state. The blue represents Colorado’s clear sky, the white represents Colorado’s snowy mountain tops, and the yellow represents Colorado’s gold mining history.

3. Bluebonnet | Texas

There are 2 species of bluebonnet native to and only grow in Texas: Lupinus Texensic and Lupinus Subcarnosis. In addition to blue, the bluebonnet can also be red or white

4. Hibiscus | Hawaii

The hibiscus flower is native to Hawaii and is endangered. It can grow up to 30 feet tall and is 4 to 6 inches in diameter. The hibiscus blooms in the spring through early summer.

5. Red Carnation | Ohio

The red carnation was chosen as Ohio’s official state flower to honor President William McKinley because he liked to wear red carnations on the lapel of his jacket. Mckinley was an Ohio native and was assassinated in 1901.

6. California Poppy | California

The California poppy has been a symbol of the state for 120 years. These flowers grow naturally across California from sea level to around 6,500 feet in elevation. People have used the poppies for holistic treatments, food, and medicines.

7. Blacked-eyed Susan | Maryland

The colors of the blacked-eyed Susan are yellow and gold, which are also featured on Maryland’s state flag. This flower was officially adopted in 1918, but it faced some competition in the Senate with the goldenrod.

8. Camellia | Alabama

The camellia is native to Asia and is the only one of Alabama’s state symbols that is not native to Alabama. Before the camellia was adopted in 1959, the goldenrod was Alabama’s official state flower.

9. Sunflower | Kansas

Sunflowers grow wild in Kansas and represent the state’s frontier days, winding trails, and pathless prairies. The oil from a sunflower is very useful in cooking and the seeds are used in things like breads, salads, and as a snack.

10. Iris | Tennessee

The iris is featured on Tennessee’s license plate and is part of one of Tennessee's state songs (“When It’s Iris Time in Tennessee”). There is an annual Iris Festival that includes a rodeo, floral show, and coronation of an Iris queen.